Before and After
by Don'tStealTheHeart
Summary: Skye's Past. Why he became a thief and everything. SkyexJill eventually.
1. The Beginning

**Disclaimer: Harvest Moon and Skye(Dammit)will never be mine.**

**This is my first fic and it sucks. Like totally. **

**.:Prologue:.**

**The Night at the Spring**

A little boy, with hair so soft and silky, sitting beside the spring. The light casted by the luminous moon danced on his silver-gray hair. The wind teased and blew at his hair, ruffling it. It was his favourite place. It was so beautiful. Or it used to be.

But it was lonely.

But the fireflies that burned, that glowed, that seemed to bring life to that lifeless night were not lonely. Neither were the two owls hooting their song with sympathy in the dark, side by side. Nor the peaceful ripples in the spring that seemed to create more of their own kind. No one was lonely that night.

No one except for a little boy.

**.:The Beginning:.**

**Ditch bad habits from small or you're gonna regret it(maybe)**

"Skye! Didn't I already tell you to stop taking things without permission? It's the third time you've been caught removing items from their shelves! If Mr. Dermont wasn't our family's friend-"

"Yeah, yeah Mom. I won't do it again."

He shrugged his mom's advice off and closed the door behind him.

Shaking her head, the woman tossed her snow white locks and returned to her chores. "That boy, one day he'll learn things the hard way."

**Daily life of a (not-so-)typical boy**

Pairs and pairs of squeaking ball shoes hard, concrete floor. Crowds and crowds of dudes swarming around an orange ball, dribbling and screaming their heads off.

How disgusting, the boy thought. They behaved like dogs.

"Hey, look at that wimp over there. I bet that white head can't even block a punch!"

"Hey, you over there!" A deep voice cracked over the panting and shouting over the court.

The nonchalant boy turned his head, with his hands in his pockets, raised an eyebrow at his callers and walked away. He didn't want to get involved with these filthy creatures.

"Hey hey! Where are you going? Trying to run away? HAHAHAHAHAHA!" He was surrounded by tall, bulky and sweaty creatures that stank of sweat and worse.

"Hey, you look SO fragile there. Wanna take up a challenge? You against me and my muscles. What do ya say? HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Obviously the irritating, egoistic and the one with a big mouth must be the 'leader' of those people, he thought. He thought, No wonder, it's that notorious bully, that son of the Franks. I probably should teach him a lesson to mess with people his own size.

He really didn't want to do it. It was wasting his own time. Why get involved with guys where girls could be found anywhere?(P.S. They flocked to him AHEMAHEM) But he didn't want others to fall victim to this "notorious" bully.

"Hey gimme some sound there! You had better talk or-" Skye shrugged. Better get it over with. Before the bully knew it, he was sent flying meters away from the rest of his buddies. The little boy that had seemed so weak and small, was now dusting his hands. He sighed in exasperation and walked away, leaving a group of stunned guys behind him. He could hear shouts of "Ouch!" and "Are you okay?"s as he chuckled and disappeared into the shadows.

Correction, they were worse than dogs.

**Being too good looking might not necessarily be a good thing(though I think it is)**

"*Gasp* Is that Skye? He's just like you said, he's so CUTE^~^"

"I know!*fangirling continues*"

Sigh.

This happened EVERYDAY. He was getting sick of it. Sick of girls flocking around him. All those Valentine gifts. For goodness sake, he didn't even LIKE chocolate! Were all girls like this? So eager to give themselves up to their own fantasy? Or maybe, he was just too good looking. (this is really ego. HMPH.)

He remembered good ol' Papa saying that he would be a lad that was fairly popular with the ladies. Oh well.

It was already Autumn. Leaves were turning shades of red, auburn and sunshine gold. They looked beautiful along with the mahogany trunks of trees. It was a beautiful sight. He loved Autumn. For him, it was the season of shedding away all the pain and joy and to turn beautiful again. He kicked at a crisp, orange leaf that landed at his feet.

Absolutely beautiful.

But would it last?

**Author's Note: So you can see from this that Skye used to be real ego since he was young. And that ladykiller complex he developed was from when he was young. I'm gonna show how he became a thief and why in the next few chapters. **

**P.S. I'm a schoolgirl (and I wrote this while I was doing my homework cos I'd write fanfic over doing homework ANYDAY)so my linguistic abilities are not that developed, so pardon me. Reviews please :D SkyexJill FTW Harvest Moon FTW**


	2. Before

**Disclaimer: I really wish Skye was mine. But that will never happen so I guess I'll just have to deal with it.**

**Thanks for the review Flower of the Sea! It really means a lot to me(: My first review!**

**.:Before:.**

**Dye it crimson red**

There was too much blood.

Too much waste.

A little boy stared in shock, dismayed by horrible fate.

_

* * *

_

_Earlier that morning…_

"Skye, it's the Starry Night Festival today! Since it's a holiday, do you think you could go on an errand to Mineral Town for me?" A smile was plastered on his mother's pale face. He knew that this festival meant a lot to his mother, it was the first date that his father brought his mother to. Too bad he could never bring her again. They had married two seasons later and had Skye but his father died, too soon. He could not even witness the arrival of his son to this world.

He wanted his mother to be able to celebrate this special occasion so he agreed. He would leave town and little did he know that nothing would be awaiting his return. Not even a crying mother.

"Thank you very much, young lad. Happy Starry Night Festival!" Shouted the shop assistant from over the counter. Skye sighed. "She sent me to town just to collect a few packets of curry powder?" He mumbled. Oh well. He had better be on his way. Bracing himself, he climbed and saddled himself onto the horse's back and rode home.

* * *

The floor was red.

The garden was red.

The village was red.

The whole world was red.

It was all dyed a beautiful crimson red.

* * *

He had returned to the town, finding it exceptionally quiet. Something was amiss. The festival probably hadn't started yet, he thought, and shrugged the feeling off. But he could feel a nagging, ominous thought at the back of his mind. He tried hard to ignore it.

The village was enshrouded in total silence. Maybe, something was really wrong. He rode his horse back to his home at full speed, thundering across plains of flora and fauna. Even the animals seemed a bit disturbed. What exactly had happened?

* * *

It was a horrible sight. Bodies lay lifelessly on the hard, cold floor. Thick, red liquid oozed from them, staining the floorboards red.

Mr. Dermont. His mother. Their friends. All of them.

The house which had once been filled with their laughter and joy had now metamorphosized into a cold, bloody one. A house screaming of murder.

**The silence that echoed**

It was too quiet.

The silence was scary. It screamed words. It screamed fear and mockery and disgust. Disgust at the only boy who survived.

Who would be able to stand such a sound? Such a disgusting sound, this silence.

Who had done such a thing? Silenced the village, their screams never heard. Who could have been this cruel?

The village he had spent his childhood in, was now in ruins. It wasn't suitable for living in anymore. He needed to find somewhere else, to get away from all this. He had to get away, before the killer realised he still lived.

He ran into the house, tried to ignore the cruel slaughter, wiping his tears furiously and stuffing his necessities into an old tattered bag. He found a picture of his mother, expecting, beside his father. He put that into his bag too.

The fragrance of curry wafted from the kitchen. He followed the smell and found a pot of simmering curry sitting on top of the stove. He opened the lid, and found his favourite dish, Finest Curry.

It was his mother's last gift for him. A simple curry dish, yet filled with love and sweat. And blood. Her last gift to him. Wishing for him to survive and live meaningfully on this world.

Wolfing down the contents of the pot, he emptied the remainders into containers and put them into his bag. He left the house. He left the village. He rode, on his horse, from the comfort of this world and left it behind.

He would never look back.

**The new start**

As a child with no shoulder to lean on and no income, no food, no shelter, he was virtually helpless. But his strong will to survive insisted for him to carry on, to journey to a place where he would belong. But first, he had to do something. It would not necessarily succeed but he hoped fervently that it would.

* * *

After days of travelling, he finally reached the capital. The capital, the place where the government and police would be found. He had to make a report and make sure the killer was caught. He would not let his poor mother and villagers die in vain. Even that bully. He would not let the person responsible for their deaths run free.

With a jingle, the doors swung open and a little boy, clad in dirty clothes, entered the room. Policemen stared at him weirdly, like they thought he was just in there for fun. He ignored their gazes on his back and went to the counter. "Mister, I would like to make a report." The man clad in blue looked at him with disgust in his eyes. "Sorry lad, but we don't have time for beggars here. Now, be on your way."

What? How could they say that? Even as he might seem poor, he was definitely not a beggar. He was just a child. Just a child who was all alone in this world now. "But… Mister, my entire family and village was killed-"

"Young lad here, what did I just tell you? Don't try this trick on me. I know very well what you're up to. But even if your whole family is dead or gone, I won't spare you any money. Now, be gone!"

No matter what he tried to say or how he protested, they would not listen to his story. Eventually, they got so irritated, the police dragged him and threw him out of the police station.

* * *

The tears started coming. No one would listen. And no one ever will. He crawled miserably to his feet and stood up.

Where was all the justice in this world? Was it all gone? The police officers were so… corrupt. He heard that they bullied villagers and took their possessions for their own but he never thought that it would be true. He always believed in justice and punishment for those who opposed it. But now, he never would. Justice seemed like a fantasy in reality. It would never exist. This world was too cruel. He was too foolish. Revenge? Vengeance? Those were just childish fantasies. Reality was not living in the past. Reality was surviving in now. He had to think of a way to survive. To continue living on this world, just like his mother would have wanted him to.

But the problem was, how?

**Another one! This was a pretty fast update. Its kinda cliché though. He's gonna start thieving in the next one, yay I've been wanting to write that one. I'm not planning to study for my exams. Oh well. Reviews please(:**

**P.S. It isn't known what exactly happened to the village. Ooh I love suspense! LOL**


	3. Past

**I'm adding a new arc to this thing. Its sort of filler-ish but I don't know whether I should put it in or not cos if I don't, the story will be like SUPER SHORT. And I don't wanna end it that soon.**

**Disclaimer: Harvest Moon ain't mine. I ain't got no Skye.**

**.:Past:.**

Panting, the boy ran around a corner of the street and turned into a dark alley. A dead end, shoot! He couldn't get caught. He couldn't and he didn't want to. He'd spend his childhood behind bars and that would mean defying his mother's last wishes-for him to live well. He mustn't get caught.

"Hey, you! What are you doing with the master's jewelry? You're going behind bars!" The brunette screamed, cornering him in the alley.

Time to turn on the charm. "Hehe. Are you sure you'd be able to stand putting me behind bars, beautiful?" Skye flicked his silver hair away with his hand. (A/N: The ultimate ladykiller strikes again.)

The young maid was caught by surprise, he was a good looking young man after all. And she was a normal young girl. "…U…uh…" She flushed a bright pink hue, a contrast with her pale skin(No more humanxvamps relations!). "Such a smooth talker, huh…"

"Hehe, I'd like to spend more time with a beautiful maiden but pity, I'm afraid I have to jet. Chick beam… FIRE!" With an accomplished smile, he turned to the paralyzed maid, "You'll be able to move after a while. Goodbye, beautiful." And he faded into the eternal night.

* * *

Heh. He got his hands on a few beauties. The necklace with a pendant of sea blue sapphire would definitely sell for something. A painting, a few bracelets with gems set in them. He would be eating well for weeks, there was no doubt in that.

Since he was thrown out of the police station that day, he no longer believed in so-called "justice". "Justice" wouldn't earn you any food, clothes or a place to stay. "Justice" was just a foolish man's play. Survival was key. Who cared if he strayed off the wrong path, he was doing what he had to live. Who cared if the money was not his, he "took" it with his own effort.

No one would have chosen his path if they had others. But he didn't. What could a child, at the fresh age of twelve do, other than thieve? Of course he could do other stuff but he knew obeying rules would just end up in him dying on the streets from hunger. He knew his "career", if it could even be called one, would definitely pose inconveniences in the future but he couldn't care less. The present was the gift. Having lost faith in justice, he purposely evaded that path and opposed it. Two parallel paths, side by side, but with not much of a difference. "Justice" was only an empty and deceiving light. It was enveloped in the familiar darkness of "crime". They just had different names.

Besides, burgling also got him lots of money to spend. So far, he had been successful in his attempts to thieve possessions from people's houses. Even if he was caught, it was also easy to get away. A bit of charm here and there and his Maiden Beam, if necessary. HE got it from a curio shop somewhere near one of his victim's houses. It came in pretty handy.

Although life was exciting(of course it would be, I mean like, a thief! Woo)but something was missing. Like a complete jigsaw with one lacking piece. He knew it couldn't return to what it was like before. He knew it when he chose this path, but humans being humans, just can;t help but yearn for more. And what they couldn't reach.

* * *

**Skye The Phantom Thief**

It was becoming a routine to him. It got easier and easier each time and he never got caught. Practice really makes perfect, huh? He thought quietly to himself. Maybe I'm really cut out for this. Heh.

To make things more interesting, he would send notes to his victims, informing them of his "friendly" visit to their abode. It got a bit risky and close sometimes but he never got caught. He still had his infamous beam.

This night, was like any other one. Sending notes, planning and preparing to sneak in. The Dillinfords, a famous name in the jewelry industry, was Skye's next prey. His note said:

Dear Dillinfords,

Tonight, I shall admire your fine jewelry and take some home as souvenirs.

Deepest Regards,

Phantom Skye.

That afternoon, the phantom planned his grand entrance. And great escape.

* * *

**The Ignominous Phantom, Encircled**

Past the guards. Easy.

A dark figure stealthed silently into the Dillinfords' backyard. It was going to be as easy as all his previous thefts. Effortlessly, he ghosted his way up the the window on the second floor and went in through an open window. Weird people, he thought, not closing windows even when a thief is about to descend? Either they were too confident or they underestimated him. Severely. Oh well. He was used to it. Even better this way. The thief didn't think much of it and went to look for available loot to plunder.

The room was spacious, about the size of a normal soccer field. Many long windows lined the walls, curtains whipping as the strong wind manipulated them as it wished. Outside, the moon was in full bloom and it sent the most amazing light into the dark room. The moon...as beautiful as that night...like a pure yet venomous flower, so tempting, Skye thought. It certainly was deja vu. He shook the thought away and advanced towards the glass cases on the tables. Inside them, were the little beauties. Precious gems of all colours, reflected the luminous light that overwhelmed the room. If he could take all of this, he would not have to steal again for a century!

His fantasy was cut off(like it always is in stories, dramas, you name it). In an instant, the room curst into a sudden, piercing light. And the beauty diminishes... Heh. Armed guards rush into the room, their metal boots made heavy clanks on the marble floor. They encircled him, like predators stalking their prey. Like dolphins encirlcing salmon(It was surprsing he could still joke at this juncture).

He heard childish giggles. "You're surrounded~ Ahehehehe~" A young girl, probably about eleven or twelve, stood out from the crowd of guards. She put her hands behind her back and leaned towards Skye. "Never thought I'd be able to catch such a rare plaything! Thought it'd be gone by now... Just like that boy a few days ago. He was no fun at all!" She started pouting and moaning. Skye stared at her. Her curly honey-blonde locks draped down the sides of her dainty little face. Her bangs covered her forehead and fell just above her deep blue eyes. She was dressed in a normal nightgown of thin cotton that stopped at her ankles. Overall, she just looked like a sweet, demure little girl that you would meet on the street, but way more posh and elegant, in a sense. What intricate beauty! Skye thought. So innocent yet so deceiving, like the reddest rose, on the brightest night, when all the ebony ravens take flight... And when the silence moans in pain, sorry, your heart will be gone again.(Couldn't help it:D)

"Pretty limited in the vocal sense huh, you? Haha, its okay, I'll bet that you won't be hesitating to contain your noise(:" Giggling, the little girl danced around, humming to the tune of London Bridge.

"- London bridge is falling down, so are YOU."

**I don't know if this is okay or not. I'm adding a mafia touch to this fanfic. Tell me if it sucks or if its too exaggerative or unrealistic etc. I'll remove the mafia thing:D So sad, Skye's mom told him to live well but instead he's thieving): sniff. I don't wanna write cliche stories with angst or tragedies whatever but I just can't write a nice past and not make it sad AND cliche. I guess I'm just not cut out to be a writer huh?): Imma writing bout' Jill too. Reviews please~**

**P.S. WRITERS BLOCK SUCKS.**


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